Blood Cancer Awareness Month: Meet David Memory

Blood Cancer Awareness Month: Meet David Memory

07 September 2017

We’re proud to support the haematology department at Hammersmith Hospital through the Blood Fund which aims to raise £250,000 for research and care for patients with a wide variety of blood disorders.

A key goal for the fund is to increase the number of Clinical Nurse Specialists who provide emotional and psychosocial support, as well as expert advice in specific diseases. David Memory, who has multiple myeloma, joined the Blood Fund committee after experiencing first-hand how much of a difference they make.

“I was in hospital for a stem cell transplant,” said David. “It’s a very scary sounding operation but I was lucky enough to have a Clinical Nurse Specialist.”

“For somebody who hasn’t been very involved in hospitals and operations it was quite a nerve-wracking thought. Having somebody spending as much time as I needed to explain what was going to happen was a massive comfort and help. They made it sound like there was really nothing to worry about.”

David’s experiences have been echoed nationwide. A 2014 survey of cancer patients identified access to a named Clinical Nurse Specialist as the number one indicator of a positive patient experience.

Since then, David has made the most of his experience and is an active part of the committee. He’s taken part in collections and helped organise an upcoming golf day auction to raise money for the fund.

“I think the aims of the Blood Fund are excellent. It’s nice to not only be able to help raise funds but also to have an influence on what they’re spent on.”

To find out more about the Blood Fund and how you can help, click here.